Portable fluid applicator with controlled feed



Nov. 14, 1950 v J. J. DUNCAN 2,530,234

PORTABLE FLUID APPLICATOR WITH CONTROLLED FEED Filed June 29, 1946 INVENTOR. JULIAN JuosoN DUNCAN.

ATTORNEY Patented Nov. 14, 1950 PORTABLE FLUID APPLICATOR WITH CONTROLLED FEED Julian Judson Duncan, Garden City, N. Y., as-

signor to Western Electric Company, Incorporated, New York, N. Y., a corporation-of New York Application'June 29, 1946, Serial No. 680,387

This invention relates to fluid applicator devices and more particularly to an adjustable feed capillary wick oiler or lubricator.

In the lubrication of machine parts in assembly operations or in the maintenance of movable parts it is very desirable to have a manual lubricator that can be easily and quickly regulated to control the flow of lubricating oil so that very small or limited quantities of oil can be rapidly applied at designated points without diminution or increase in the flow at which the lubricator is adjusted. The difficultywith prior oilers is that too much oil is fed and applied to moving parts. The application of excess oil to a moving part results in the accumulation of dirt and interferes with eificient operation. This is particularly true where the parts are of fine construction and must be maintained in delicate balance and adjustment.

An object of the invention is to provide an adjustable feed capillary wick lubricator which is simple in construction and capable of accurate adjustment to control the flow of lubricating liquid therefrom.

Another object is to provide a pencil shaped oiler, light in weight, having a transparent oil storage reservoir, and easily manipulated to permit rapid and correct oiling of mechanisms.

With these and other objects in view, the invention comprises a pencil shaped oiler havin a transparent plastic tubular oil reservoir from which oil is fed by capillary action through a felt wick compressed by a resilient rubber collet in a stufling box which is adjustable to control the construction of the wick and hence the rateof feed of the oil therethrough. e

Other objects and advantages will be apparent from the following detailed description when taken in conjunction with the accompanying drawing, wherein 1 V Fig. 1 is a perspective view of an oiler or lubricator embodyin the invention;

Fig. 2 is an enlarged longitudinal section thereof;

Fig. 3 is an enlarged view of the applicator end of the oiler, and

Fig. 4 is an enlarged view of the back end of the oiler.

Referring now to the drawings in which like reference numerals indicate similar parts throughout the several views, l designates a transparent oil reservoir which is made of any suitable plastic material such as polystyrene. Secured in and passing through and beyond the back end of the reservoir I0 is an aluminum dowel pin II which is used to prevent the oiler from 3, Claims. (01. -138) threaded at. 12 to receive a threaded reduced end 1 2 I rolling off of. a support when it is laid thereon by the user, and as a means'for supporting the oiler in a vertical position while adjusting the capillary feed. The inner front end of the reservoir I0. is

of a knurled hollow aluminum bushing 13 having a centralopening [4 through which a feltwi'ck 15 passes. The bushing I3 is provided at its forward end with a reduced exteriorly threaded hollow portion 16 onto which is threaded an aluminum tubular shaped stuffing boX. or sleeve I 1 having a central aperture l8 through which the wick I5 passes.

The stufling box I1 has a chamber 19 concen-- threaded end of along hollow brass-tip 23 which guides the'wick l5 therethrough and holds its applicator end 24 in a desired position. 1 This end of the wick is trimmed so that it extends about one-eighth of an inch beyond the metal tip 23.

In preparing the oiler for use, the transparent oil reservoir I0 is unscrewed from the knurled aluminum bushin I3 and the reservoir is about four-fifths filled with an oil of the desired quality. The oil reservoir I0 is then reassembled to the bushing I3 with the wick l5 positioned as shown in Figs. 1 and 2. The oileror lu-bricator is then suspended by the dowel pin II with the applicator end 24 down until a drop of oil begins to form thereon. The stuffing box I1 is then tightened to compress and constrict the rubber collet 20 to a greater degree about the wick l5 until the formation of an oil drop stops or is very slow. The excess oil is then wiped from the applicator tip 24 of the wick and this applicator tip is then applied to the points on the apparatus to be lubricated. By observation it can be ascertained whether the stufiing box I'I should be tightened or loosened to deliver the lubricating oil slower or faster to the wick end 24. After the proper rate of oil feed has been determined, the stufiing box I1 is locked in adjusted position by tightening the knurled lock nut 2| thereagainst.

The lubricator or oiler is now used by lightly pressing the felt tip 24 to the lubrication points of the apparatus or machine parts in rapid succession and the transparent reservoir I gives a visual indication at all times as to the quantity of oil therein.

It is to'be -understood that while the embodiment shown in the accompanying drawing is a preferred one, nevertheless the invention is susceptible of many different forms and is to be limited only by the scope of the appended claims.

What is claimed is:

1. An adjustable feed capillary wick oiler comprising a chambered transparent body havin in-, ternal screw threads at an open end, albushing threaded into the open end of the chambered body and having a threaded shank and a central bore extending through the bushing; ahollow:

sleeve threaded onto the shank of the bushing and adjustable on said shank; a resilient member positioned in the hollow of the sleeve and having an passageway offiuniform diameter concentric with the central bore'of the bushing and which passageway is adapted to be constricted between the sleeve and the bushing, said sleeve having a tapered endisection; a long tubular tip removably attached to said:endsection; a wick having one end'positioned within the chamber of the transparentbody andextending through the bore in the-bushing, the ;constricted passageway in the resilient memberpthe sleeve and through the long'tubulartip-so that theiother end of the wick extends a predetermined distance beyond the end: of :the tip; and a locking nut threaded onto the shank of the bushing for cooperating with the sleeve toxlock it .:in: a: predetermined osition inxconstricting the passageway in the resilient member ItO'COI'IStIiCt-ith wick'to control the flow of oilrfroma supply *in the :chambered body to theend of the wwickextending'v beyond the long;

tubularrtipn 2.- A fluid: applicator comprising a wick; a chambered body I having internal screw threads at ani open end; ,a', bushing having; a' threaded shank at one end and theother end'thereof.

being-g threaded intosaid open end of the chamberedrbody-and having a central bore extending through the bushing; part of said bore b'eing'of approximately'the-same diameter as the'wick and the; remainin part being: of largendiameter to form'a secondchamberfor receiving the fluid; a hollow sleeve threaded onto said shank of said;

bushing; and ha'ving-a-conical-end section; an

elongated hollow tip; of approximately uniform diameter and securedfito said end section; a :re-. silient member positionedrin the hollow "portion of said-sleeve and having apassageway' axially aligned with thesmallerportion of the'bore of said bush'ing said passageway being of uniform diameter-for constricting; the wick along'thesen- 4 tire length of the passageway; said wick extending from said chambered body through the larger portion of the bore of said bushing, the smaller portion of said bore, the passageway in said resilient member, through the sleeve, the elongated tip; and extending-a predetermined distancebeyond the outer end of the elongated tip; and a locking nut threaded onto the shank of the bushing for locking said sleeve in a predetermined. position for constricting the passageway in. the resilient member to constrict the wick to control the flow of fluid therethrough.

3. A flow metering: device including a wick; a chambered body; a bushing threading into said chambered bodyand having a central bore; a hollow sleeve having an enlarged recess therein and a lconicalendf an elongated hollow tip of approximately uniform external diameter and secured to "said end; said bushing havinga shank extending a predetermined distance into said recess and forming a' chamber within the sleeve; a-resil-ient member-having a passageway of uniform diameter in axial alignment withthe central b'oreofthe bushing and encircling a portion of the wick and occupying the entire space within the chamber of the sleeve; said wick extending fromsaid chamberedbody through the central bore in the bushing, the passageway in the resilient member, the sleeve; the elongated tip, and extending a predetermined distance beyond the end of said tip; means for'suspending the device in the vertical position while adjusting the sleeve to a predetermined position for constricting the passageway in the resilient member to constrict the wick to control the fiowof fluid; and means for locking said sleeve in the predetermined position.

JULIAN JUDSQN DUNCAN.

REFERENCES CITED The following references are of record .in the,

file of this patent:

UNITED :STATES -iP-ATENTS Number Name Date 549,105 Chamberlain Nov. 5, 1895 938,846 Gunn Nov. 2, 1909 1,182,551 Garvey May 9, 1916 1,297,675 Garvey Mar. 18, 1919 1,387,754 Bates Aug. 16, 1921 1,529,192 Kotzen 1 Mar. 10, 1925 1,576,533 Mikeleitis Mar. 16, 1926 1,657,663 Devereux Jan. 31, 1928' 2,088,283 Armfelt .July 27, 1937 2,458,027 Quist Jan. 4, 1949 FOREIGN PATENTS Number Country Date 24,609 Great Britain "Nov. 28, 1905 

